Just over half a century ago, the environmental movement tried to draw attention to its efforts by naming April 22nd as Earth Day. Some of the efforts to abate pollution indeed bear promise, such as prohibiting the sale of new gasoline or diesel-powered cars from 2030 in Britain. In the US, California plans to phase these out by 2035. Its governor Gavin Newsom blamed the transportation sector for causing more than half of the state's carbon pollution, 95 percent of toxic diesel emissions, and 80 percent of smog-forming particulates.
California's projected phase-out by 2035 is eased by the intermediate steps mandating electric vehicle (EV) sales comprise 35 percent by 2026, 68 percent by 2030 and finally 100 percent in 2035. And a dozen-plus states are following California's example.
Among our anthropogenic pollutants there is methane belched out by the ton by meat cows whose only purpose in life is to be slaughtered to satisfy our lust for beef. It turns out methane in the atmosphere also acts as a reflector turning back some of the sun's rays, but clearly not enough. Out of 1.06 degrees C total global warming since preindustrial times, methane's contribution has been estimated at 0.2C but a new study reduces it to 0.16C.
Climate change and global pollution can result also in the destruction of habitat, contributing to a decline in essential biodiversity. The environment survives best with a mix of species for if herbivores were not controlled by carnivores, then numbers would mushroom; they would eventually eat up all the plants and, in the end, themselves starve to death. A successful environment needs a balanced system. At present according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) almost a third of animals are in danger of becoming extinct.
Humans at the head of the chain bear the greatest responsibility both for the cause and the remedy. What must we do?
First, we have to cut back drastically on beef. It has by far the greatest environmental impact, about ten times greater than poultry and over eight times more than pork. That is because ruminants have lower growth and reproduction rates than pigs or poultry thus needing more feed per pound of meat produced. Dairy herds are less because the cows are allowed to live as long as they produce milk which is much longer than cattle intended for slaughter and meat production. Yet every dairy herd is polluting several times more than pigs. This applies equally to the cheese produced from cows' milk.
Then there are single-use plastics that take up and fill space and do not degrade. Then disposal is not cost free. Waste going to a landfill has to be collected and then taken to the disposal site incurring transportation costs as well as emitting truck-exhaust gases that are released into the atmosphere.
As a final assessment this Earth Day, it would be fair to say we are making progress in trying to control global warming. We recognize the problem and have a clearer understanding of the sources of greenhouse gases being emitted. Indeed some steps have already been taken through rules and laws enacted. But the question remains whether we can do more and faster. We have no second home and it should not take an Earth Day to remind us.
